The present invention relates to a new and distinct Hosta plant, Hosta ‘Mini Skirt’ hereinafter also referred to as the new plant or just the cultivar name, ‘Mini Skirt’. Hosta ‘Mini Skirt’ was discovered by Maria Martinez as a non-induced, naturally-occurring, whole-plant mutation in a batch of tissue cultured Hosta ‘Mighty Mouse’ (not patented) at a nursery greenhouse in Zeeland, Mich., USA during the summer of 2008. The new plant has been asexually propagated by division at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. USA since 2009 and also by careful shoot tip plant tissue culture with the resultant asexually propagated plants having retained all the same traits as the original plant. ‘Mini Skirt’ is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Hosta ‘Mini Skirt’ has not been made publically available or sold anywhere in the world prior to the filing of this application. Any public disclosure of ‘Mini Skirt’ has been by the inventor, or one who obtained the material either directly or indirectly from the inventor, and any such disclosure has not been made more than one year prior to the application of this invention.
There are over 4,500 registered Hostas with The American Hosta Society, which is the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Hosta. Hosta ‘Mini Skirt’ is a sport from ‘Mighty Mouse’ (not patented) which is one of many sports from Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ (not patented). The most similar Hosta cultivar known to the applicant is Hosta ‘Mighty Mouse’. The new plant differs from ‘Mighty Mouse’ in that the margin appears wider but most notably in the course wave in the leaf bland, whereas ‘Mighty Mouse’ has a flat leaf blade. Another cultivar, ‘Ruffled Mouse Ears’ (not patented), has similar sport history, both originally arising from ‘Blue Mouse Ears’. ‘Ruffled Mouse Ears’ has a similar coarse wave to the leaves but is not variegated. Hosta ‘Pure Heart’ (not patented) is a sport of ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ with foliage having a white center and green margin, but ‘Pure Heart’ also has a flatter leave than ‘Mini Skirt’ and variegation in a reverse pattern. Hosta ‘Mouse Tracks’ (not patented) is another sport of ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ with creamy streaking variegation throughout the dark green foliage and without a wide creamy white to creamy yellow margin. Hosta ‘Mouse Tracks’ also has a flatter leaf than ‘Mini Skirt’.
Other Hosta cultivars have short habit and variegation of a similar nature, or other individual traits similar to ‘Mini Skirt’ but the new plant differs from the above cultivars and all other Hostas known to the applicant, by the combination of the following traits.                1. Coarsely-sinuate cordate leaf blades.        2. Leaves with creamy yellow to creamy white margins and dark green center and feathering intermediate colors.        3. Short, compact, rounded habit with flowering just above foliage.        4. Stiff scapes and leaves with thick substance.        